Annie laughed out loud. “We ain't Dutch,” she said. “You know that.”

“But he comes to call anyway,” said Gabriel. “While we're sleeping. We don't hang up stockings but he leaves the sugar cakes on the table. Last year we got an orange too, each of us.”

Leo nodded eagerly. “Juice sweet as sin,” he said, and again a muffled laugh came from Elizabeth.

The rest of the conversation had to do with what Claas might bring this year, and if any of them had earned a birch rod instead of an orange.

But in the end all the anticipation was for naught: a three-day blizzard kept Jed McGarrity from making his scheduled trip to get supplies from Johnstown, and coincidentally, Saint Claas stayed away from Paradise. The children were disappointed, but stoic. On the sixth of December they went off to bed consoling each other and trying to calculate how long the snow would keep the old Dutch saint away.

The wind and snow scoured the walls of the cabin, but in front of the hearth it was warm and Jennet had to keep herself from yawning.

“It seems rather hard,” she said. “That the children should look forward to this all year and be let down.”

Nathaniel winked at her. “Have a little faith,” he said. “The snow might have slowed Claas down, but he'll get here in the end. One year he didn't come till January, as I remember it.”

Hannah was bent over some sewing, working by the light of a pine knot. She said, “For the Todds' sake I hope the weather clears before that.”

At this they all went quiet. After a while Hannah looked up, her expression blank. “What?”

“Are you saying that Richard is waiting to die until after Saint Claas comes to call?” Elizabeth asked.

“No,” said Hannah with a grim smile. “But he will have his Christmas celebration first, and his firecrackers and all the rest of it. He has told me as much.”

Nathaniel shrugged one shoulder, running a hand over his face. “Stubborn unto death,” he said.

“Did you expect anything else?” Elizabeth asked.

She began to put her knitting away, a deep frown between her brows.

“Is that possible?” Jennet asked. “To just will yourself alive when your body is ready to die?”

“In Richard's case I wouldn't doubt it,” said Nathaniel.

To Jennet it was clear that there were stories here that she had yet to hear, and also that this was not the time to ask. Instead she said, “As soon as the storm breaks I'll go down to spend a few days with Curiosity and help with the nursing.”

This earned her a brilliant smile from Elizabeth and a thankful one from Hannah. Nathaniel put his hand on Jennet's shoulder as he passed, and squeezed.

“Claas will have to come on Christmas Eve,” Anna McGarrity told Jennet when she stopped in at the trading post on the way to the Todds' place two days later.

“Fearful late,” said Jed, who was fishing among the pickled eggs in a large jar. “But better than no visit at all. And we can get all the foolery done with at once.”

“Foolery?” Jennet asked, looking from Anna to Jed, who was nailing a new hand-painted sign among the great variety of them on the wall: No More Cone Shugar. “Do you mean the firecrackers?”

“And the rest of it,” said Anna. “Firecrackers and a turkey shoot, that's something we do every year. Wait and see if it don't cheer even the saddest folks right up.”

Anna was thinking of the Wilde family, no doubt, and Jennet must think of them, too, for the half hour it took for her to walk from the trading post to the Todd place. Certainly anything they could do to help the Wildes must be undertaken. Indeed, all of Paradise needed something to take its mind off the mystery that still surrounded Dolly's death and Cookie's disappearance.

When she turned on the path that led up through tall stands of evergreens to the Todd property she saw Joshua Hench coming toward her. The blacksmith was driving a small bobsled, standing on a board set over one end. His son Emmanuel sat behind him, holding on by means of a leather strap nailed to the floorboards.

Joshua drew the horse to a stop and touched the brim of his hat. Emmanuel jumped up like a puppet and they both smiled at her, identical strong, wide smiles that no one could withstand for their honesty and simple goodwill.

“Why, Miz Jennet,” Joshua said. “I was just thinking about you today. The Lake in the Clouds folks all come through the blizzard?”

“Everyone healthy and accounted for,” Jennet assured him. “And you are all well?”

“Daisy got a catarrh,” Joshua said. “I was hoping Hannah might have time to come see. Don't want to bother Curiosity about such a little thing right now.”

“Yes,” Jennet said. “Curiosity is very busy with Dr. Todd.”

“That's true,” Emmanuel said. “He sure do keep everybody jumping, my grandma most especially.”

Joshua sent his son a quiet look that made the boy drop his head and study his own shoes.

“Emmanuel been helping me get the firecrackers ready for the Christmas Eve party,” Joshua said evenly. “He's got a good steady hand, but his mouth do get away from him, time to time.”

“Why, I have that very same problem,” Jennet said. “I sympathize with young Emmanuel. But let me ask you—just out of curiosity—I suppose all these preparations mean that you haven't had time to work on my skate blades.”